Criminal justice dominates Queen's speech

The government today declared a crackdown on crime in a Queen's speech dominated by bills on the criminal justice system, sex offences, sentencing, litter, graffiti and vandalism.

In the second Queen's speech of Labour's second term - and the most widely leaked in living memory - violent crime and anti-social behaviour now supersede the public services as the main focus of government thinking.

The total of 19 bills and three draft bills will now form the spine of the government's legislation until the end of 2003 - and the run-in to the next general election.

The speech - delivered by the monarch but written by the government - states that the justice system will be rebalanced to "safeguard the interests of victims, witnesses and communities".

The prime minister will outline the proposals in greater detail to MPs this afternoon in the Commons, before the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties challenge him on the speech.

Taking as its cue Tony Blair's conference speech declaration that "we are at our best when at our boldest", the home office will introduce three bills - on sex offending, criminal justice and anti-social behaviour.

The most radical proposals - which are likely to be heavily opposed by both the legal profession and the upper chamber - will see the end of the "double jeopardy" rule for murder and rape, allow juries to hear previous convictions and hearsay evidence, and restrict the rights to trial by jury.

Dangerous sex offenders are also likely to be detained indefinitely, and new legislation will redefine the definition of consent in so-called "date rape".

But the bill on hunting is likely to be just as controversial. The speech fudges the issue, saying only that a bill "will be introduced to enable parliament to reach a conclusion on hunting with dogs". That leaves the way open, if the government wants, for the rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, to introduce a "third way" of licensed hunts following his on-going consultation exercise.

That would not be enough to satisfy the Labour majority in the Commons in favour of a complete ban, and would set the scene for yet another showdown with the Lords.

The other hot topic - the euro - is barely mentioned at all. Instead of a bill paving the way for a UK-wide referendum on the single currency, the speech merely reaffirms the current government position that a decision will be taken by June on whether the five economic tests have been met.

That will disappoint pro-euro campaigners, who had seen a referendum bill as firing the starting gun for a media offensive to sell the single currency.

Nor, thanks to a massive lobbying campaign, is there a mental health bill, which would have given psychiatrists powers to detain indefinitely mentally ill people who had not committed a crime.

One of the most far-reaching bills will see the creation of new regional assemblies - if local people vote for them in a referendum. The pet project of the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, this has so far aroused the most interest in the North East.

The speech also introduced the long-anticipated reform of licensing laws, which will see pubs opening later in the evening. Although this is likely to be welcomed by drinkers, the government is selling it as an anti-social behaviour measure, stopping town centres from being swamped with drunken men at pub closing time.

Considering the wide leaking of the government's plans - including a first-person piece by the prime minister at the weekend - there are few surprises in the speech.

The other crime measures include new on-the-spot fines for fly-posting, litter and graffiti, moves against the problem of truancy and easing extradition for suspects accused of crimes abroad.

There is also legislation to create a vehicle of public interest companies to run new "foundation" hospitals, free of Whitehall control over their budget. The government is selling this innovation as devolving power to doctors and patients, but has already faced opposition from the former health secretary, Frank Dobson.

There is no new legislation on transport other than following up the recommendation of the Cullen report to establish a railway accident investigation branch.

Local councils will be freer to borrow money on the open market if they are viewed as better performing - but they will also be required to house older patients currently "bed blocking" hospitals in a bid to free up capacity in the health service.

In a slate-grey, rain-sodden Westminster, the monarch arrived by horse-drawn coach from Buckingham palace in a tradition originating in the 14th century, to read a text prepared by the government and written on goat's skin.

This year the speech - which lasted 10 minutes - was shorn of some of the New Labour jargon so heavily criticised in the past, although the Queen still used such Blairite phrases as "rights and responsibilities".